Current-wheel



(No Model.)

W. M. GOFPMAN.

CURRENT WHEEL.

- No. 259,098. Patented June 6, 1882.

WITiTESSES MML ' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER M. OOFFMAN, OF ELIZABETHTON, TENNESSEE.

CURRENT-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,093, dated June 6, 1882, Application filed February 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER M. OoFFMAN, of Elizabethton, in .the county of Carter and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Current-Wheel; and I do hereby'declare that the following is a full, clear, and ex act description of the same, reference beinghad to th'eaccompauying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved ourrent-wheel with portions of the frame broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing one pair of paddles and connecting-lever. Fig. 3 is a detail view of spiral supporting shaft.

My invention relates to improvements in current-wheels; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents a frame, preferably of rectangular form, the lower sill, a, of which is secured longitudinally to a boat anchored in the current of a stream; or in some cases the frame may be secured to one of the banks of a stream.

1) represents a circular track, secured to the upper face of the sill a of the frame a at its middle and supported by said sill and crosssills. About one-half of the circular track b on one side of the sill a is horizontal, and at about each of the two intersections of the circular track I) with the sill a a descent or incline, c, is formed on each side of the upper face of the track I), and the latter is horizontal at d between the inclines c o.

h represents a vertical shaft, journaled at its lower end at the center of the track in the sill a, and at its upper end in the upper sill of the frame.

krepresents a series of radial arms, arranged in pairs, with a slight space between them, and mortised into the vertical shaft h, near its lower end, when wood is employed as the material. If metal be employed, the radial arms'k are cast with a central hub adapted to fit over the vertical shaft h, and in both cases upper and lower rings are secured to the upper and lower faces of the radial arms at their outer ends to strengthen the construction.

Between each pair of radial arms 7c is pivoted by a bolt an arm, I, to the lower face of which is pivoted a caster-wheel, m, which caster-wheels are-adapted to move on theeircular track I). g To the outer end of each of the arms l, and

in line therewith, is secured asquare metallic rod, n, spirally twisted longitudinally.

' 0 0 represent the buckets, each of which is formed concave on one side (the side up the' stream) and its outer end, 0, bent inwardly toward the center of the wheel, so as to catch the water of the current running down theand forth on the rod n, the longitudinal twist in the rod n operating in assisting to turn the bucket out of the water in stopping or into the water when starting by the operation of a gate, hereinafter described.

r 1' represent a series of levers, each extending through a separate slot, 1", in the vertical shaft h, and one lever, 1, arranged above another. Each lever 1' lies directlyover two radially-opposite arms, I, and the ends of the lever r and arms I are connected together in pairs, respectively, by the vertical rods s.

t t are braces connecting, the radial arms k k.

A represents a gate, composed preferably of two horizontal disks, u at, having central orifices, v '0, adapted to fit loosely on the'upper turn thereon. The disks to u are connected together at intervals by the vertical rods w. To the lower disk, u, are secured rods a, each leading from the lower disk, at, to the inner lug, p, of eaehbucket 0.

In practice, the current-wheel being supposed at rest and all the buckets drawn inwardly on their respective rods toward the center ot the wheel and out of the water by turning the gate, and it is desired to set the wheel in mo tion, the gate is partially turned, throwing out all the buckets radially on their rods, and motion is imparted to the current-wheel, one half of the buckets which have passed down one of the inclines remaining under water and the otherhalf' of the buckets on the opposite side of the wheel being out of the water; If it is desired to stop the wheel, the gate is turned in the opposite direction, so as to draw the buck- .and lower ends of the vertical shaft h and ets inwardly toward thecenter of the wheel and out of the water. When the buckets are drawn inwardly the current-wheel stops, because all the buckets are drawn out of the water in consequence of the formation of the circular track with its inclines, as described.

The gate A may be held open or closed by a ratchet and pawl or any other equivalent construction.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the frame a, circular track I), horizontal on one side, and provided with the inclines c c and horizontal part d and shaft h, of the radial arms k, arms l, pivoted thereto, and each provided with a rod, n, projecting from its end, and caster-wheel m, levers r, rods 8, and sliding buckets 0 0, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The bucket 0, made concave on its front face, with its outer end, 0, bent inwardly toward the center of the wheel, its inner front side open, and its back face convex, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the bucket 0, constructed as set forth, and provided with perforated lu gs p p on its convex side, of the square rod 11/, on which the bucket is adapted to turn and slide, having a longitudinal twist, substantially as described,and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the arms 1, provided with rods n on their ends and buckets 0, suspended thereon, of the gate A and rods a, secured to the buckets and gate, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the frame a, track b, constructed as set forth, arms 70 I, rods 7:, caster-wheelsm, levers r, rods 8, and sliding and turning buckets 0, of the gate A and rods a, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

WALTER M. GOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

SoLoN G. KEMON, CHAS. A. PETTIT. 

